Book Trigger Warnings: Mentions of suicide, child abuse, mental illness, and murder
This review contains book spoilers, read at your own risk
Imagine a world where climate change has caused the entire world to freeze over. In fact, the average temperature for a day is -50°F. Most people spend their days working in human hamster wheels, using the kinetic energy that is formed to power their homes, but more importantly the city of Snowglobe. The city sits under a technological dome, allowing for them to have changing weather, actual fashion sense, and most importantly: the cameras that run 24/7 to capture the life of the lucky few who live in the city. In this dystopian world, Reality TV is how the normal person gets through the day on their hamster wheel. In exchange for their endless walking, they get unlimited access to hundreds of channels of shows.
But in this world of Kardashians, there is one star who rose above the rest:
Haeri.
A third-generation Snowglobe resident, her entire life has been on the screen. Fans watched her learn how to walk, her toddlerhood muteness and recovery, her first day of school, and her very first date. But for Chobahm, Haeri feels like a best friend. The two look nearly identical, share a birthday, and Chobahm's twin brother even jokes she's Haeri's long-lost twin. Chobahm's hope is to one day become a resident of Snowglobe, not as an actor but as a director of a show of her own. However, on the day of her latest rejection from film school, Chobahm is met with a surprise: the director of Goh Around - the show centered around Haeri's family - wants to meet with her. And to Chobahm's surprise, wants her to be the new Haeri.
It turns out Haeri has killed herself, and the director want Chobahm to go on in her place.
At first, Chobahm is horrified, but reluctantly agrees after she is promised a spot at the film school once her time as Haeri is done. But her technical understanding of what makes a fantastic show and her ease at slipping into her new personality give Goh Around a ratings boost - and blinded by success Chobahm makes the decision to give up her dreams and instead live her life as the popular and glamourous Haeri.
But what she doesn't know is there was another Haeri waiting in the wings...and still others who have yet to be discovered walking in hamster wheels of their own.
This book is a fast-paced science fiction novel that specifically has you not only thinking about the ethics of the modern Reality TV landscape but also of the ethics of family bloggers and vloggers. In a time when the children of these influencers are speaking out about their childhoods, Snowglobe provides an exaggerated look at this through the reveal that Haeri was genetically designed for beauty and the ratings they hoped she would have across her life. In addition, she was cloned, so if something happened to the one on the screen, they could just switch her out with one that's shiny and new. It's both horrifying and intriguing as we look at family influencers and wonder if they would do the same if it gave them better ratings and more money from their channels.
In addition to being so captivating, Snowglobe goes where most YA Dystopian novels wouldn't dare tread: there is no love triangle. In fact, there is no love story within the pages of the book - other than one that is faked for the cameras. That being said, there is one character who could potentially be a love interest in the next book, but this story is about Chobahm and her learning who she is. And the fact she doesn't need a boyfriend to distract her (or help her) is such a refreshing take we don't see often enough in YA literature.
Overall, this book is in the running to be the best book I read in 2024 - and it's only June! It's thought-provoking, action-packed, and Chobahm is such a compelling main character, that you can't help but root for her. The ending also sets up for the sequel well - it doesn't leave on a frustrating cliffhanger, but sets the story up perfectly so that the reader can't help but wonder what Chobahm will get up to next!
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